Silent Winds C Ashton Macaulay
by fieryeskimo351
Summary: A mysterious substance lands on earth and changes people.
1. Invasion Day

Invasion Day

**December 24 2008; 8:59 PM- December Skies**

The sky was black with the night, and no moon was showing. The cold winter air was sharp and unwelcoming around the farm. I was only fifteen on this day, my birthday was coming up soon and I was just enjoying a nice walk alone. The trail was crunchy from the frozen dew and the air was almost completely silent. The occasional rustle of trees from the wind was the only noise that could be heard apart from my feet on the path. I remember this day so vividly not because, of the holiday preceding it, but because of the events that transpired just minutes after where the story began. 9:01 December 24th was the time that changed my life forever. That was the moment when the entire human race was altered. The world as I had known it was forever changed in a very silent, but noticeable way. I was just looking up into the sky still crunching along the path when there was a low hum that began to emit from all around me. It was very soft at first, but then it grew. I was confused, but did not pay attention to the noise until it became louder yet. The sky began to lighten as if the morning was coming early. It grew lighter as the sound grew louder. The hum was now a roar and I merely stood perplexed looking at the sky and wondering where it was coming from. The entire area was almost completely lit now and still I could see nothing that the noise could be coming from. The sky grew ever lighter and I had to turn away so tat my eyes did not hurt. I looked back at my farm and saw that my mother and father were outside. The sky grew to a painfully bright white and the sound became overpowering and shook my body. I cried out to my mother and father, but the sound was so loud that all of my shouts were in vain. Feeling a burning in my skin from the light I ducked into a nearby ditch hoping to avoid it. The light began to burn my clothing and then all of the sudden it stopped. The world went dark again and the noise stopped. When I looked up I saw a large object embedded in the ground before me. It was square and metallic unlike anything that I had ever seen before. There was a faint glow around it and the ground next to it had melted and been pushed up the sides. I was about to get up when I saw the bright lights coming down the drive. In fear of the humming happening again I ducked down in the ditch once more, but this was no strange light these lights were familiar. As they got closer I realized that they were headlights. A large black van pulled up beside the metal and four men in white haz-mad suits stepped out. They examined the object carefully and they began to walk towards the farm. I watched as they knocked on the door and waited for someone to answer. Staying in the ditch was probably the smartest decision I ever made in my entire life. As they waited I saw my mother come to the door followed by my father and sister. I saw my father talking to them and looking a bit confused. Then all I saw was the men in the suits shoot him in the neck with what appeared to be some sort of dart gun. He fell limp as my mother screamed. Two more shots were fired and I saw my mother and sister fall to the ground. They were among the first people to be taken to the quarantine camps. The men in the white suits loaded my family into the van and drove away. I stayed low as the car passed and waited until it was out of sight to move. I stepped out of the ditch and in a daze brushed the dirt off of my body. My clothes were tattered and my head ached from the light and noise. I stumbled down the road away from the now empty farm that used to be my home. I walked down the dusty road towards the nearest house that was over eight miles away.


	2. Blackened Snow

**Christmas Day 2008; 7:35 AM**

I had walked for hours passing the other farm only to find that its owners were gone on vacation. It had snowed during the night so the ground was covered in a heavy white coating. My legs and arms were weary, but I knew that my only hope of finding out what happened the night before was getting to the sheriff's office less than a mile away. I looked behind me and saw a large patch of scorched earth from where the light had been. The ground was completely black and the trees were barren. The only things that had survived were farms and fence posts. Even they were badly burned. Everything seemed like it had been painted over with a black haze. The air seemed thick and everything was misty. I walked on un-aware of the pain that racked my whole body. I looked ahead and saw the sheriff's office in the distance. There was a dim light on inside and I could see the silhouette of a man sitting at his desk. I ran through the blackened snow towards the office. When I reached the door I noticed certain un-easiness around the town. Normally there were people out around this time of day. Still perplexed I walked into the sheriff's office. I looked around for the sheriff and spotted him in the corner sitting in an arm chair reading the paper. I'll never forget the expression on that mans face as he read the paper. It was a mixed feeling of fear and confusion. It embodied my own feelings and what I imagined the rest of the world's feelings to be at that point in time. As I stood there he looked up at me with a fearfully suspicious gaze. He opened his mouth and said: "Oh no, not another one of you. Listen to me boy you need to get away from here and get away fast. They are rounding up anyone who's been near the farms at the end of the road. Run now before they catch you."

I did not even bother to give him a second glance I knew what he meant. He was talking about the men in the white suits who had taken my family away. I nodded silently and then ran out of the store into the bitter morning. As I ran out into the street I noticed a familiar black van parked down in front of the convenience store. The men in the suits were talking to the store owner. They pulled him from behind the counter and took him into the van. I recognized him as one of the other farm owners near my house. As the men walked out they spotted me. I stood rooted to the spot in fear. They began to walk towards me and I ran behind the sheriff's building. I heard them shouting "he's the one, the one were missing" as they came towards me. Without any second thoughts I took off towards the main road and the nearest city, Seattle.


	3. A Fateful Encounter

**Later That Day 12:50 AM- A fateful encounter**

I had no idea how long I had been running for before I finally slowed to a walk. I just knew that I had to put as much distance between me and that van as possible. I stopped at a country inn to see if I could get a bite to eat. Here none of the buildings were damaged and the ground had returned to its normal color. I looked behind me towards the countryside I had called my home and saw nothing but a big black scar on the land.My head was still reeling from all of the events that had transpired in the few hours that had just passed. Nothing was making sense and the only thing that I could really understand was my need for food. I had gone back to primal instincts and nothing else. My only desire was to feed and keep myself out of danger. I walked towards the inn and thought about everything that was happening. I wondered what had happened with the light. What was it? Why had it hit my farm? All of these questions burned through my brain, but before I was able to answer any of them I found myself at the door. As I stepped in I smelled the vague air of damp cigarettes and somewhere inside the hotel bacon frying. Not the most ideal place to eat, but it didn't matter at this point in time. I walked through the door and into a musty room full of old lounge chairs and sofas. I looked around to see if I could spot anyone, but no one was around. I noticed scratch marks all over the walls and found that the paint was peeling off of them. As I kept walking I spotted a fresh plate of bacon and eggs sitting on a table in the middle of what appeared to be some sort of dining room. I stepped in and looked for the person who may have been making them, but saw no one. Since there was no one around I sat down at the table and hungrily ate everything that was on the plate in front of me. After I was finished the thought of self preservation came to mind again. I walked into the kitchen and found an empty milk jug on the floor. There was still no sign of anybody, but me in this place. I took the jug to the sink and began to fill it up with water. After I was finished I drank some from the sink and began to look for more provisions. An old towel on the ground supplied the perfect bag for carrying the bread that I found. I finished my search and bean to walk towards the kitchen door. Just as I was about to turn the handle I heard a van pull up outside. By reflex I ducked underneath the counter and waited to see if anybody entered the inn. I heard muffled voices outside the door and the scraping of feet on the front mat. A man stepped in the door and said to the men outside "sorry I couldn't help you find the boy you were looking for. Usually he hangs around here, but I haven't seen him recently. He stepped in and shut the door. As he walked thought he main room and hung his coat up he stopped. There was a long hesitant pause before he spoke. "I know your in here boy! You need to go now those men outside have been looking for you. Where are you come out I want to help."

I was unsure of what to do at this point in time because, I didn't know whether I could trust the man or not. I had no friends at this point in time and I needed an ally so I decided to trust the man. I stepped up from behind my hiding place in the kitchen and looked over the counter into the entry way. The man stood and stared at me. He then very slowly went outside and yelled to the men in the van giving away my position. I was stuck in the kitchen with no way out except for right through the front door where the men were waiting. I did not take time to think I grabbed a kitchen knife and began to sneak out of the kitchen. I kept the knife in a fighting position right next to my chest as I opened the door. The man was still waiting for the men to enter. Before he could notice my movement I burst from the door and ran right up the stairs to my left. I figured that my chances of survival would be better if I got away from the immediate danger. With the knife still in my hand I ran through the upstairs hallway and into one of the first rooms to my right. I flicked the light switch and found that I was not the only one who was in this room. A man awoke from a drunken sleep and looked at me as if I were some crazy eyed monster. He fell back in to bed and continued to snore. I looked around the room for some means of escape. The only exit was a busted window facing the street. I heard the shouts of men coming up the stairs, and I decided that I needed to act quickly to stay alive. I grabbed a curtain from the wind and ripped it from its hinges. I felt my strength growing from what it had been before. Paying no attention to it I broke through the window and proceeded to climb to the backside of the roof. There was a forest behind the inn and it was my only hope for survival. I tied the curtain to the gutter and prepared to jump now. I heard the men entering the room which I had just been in. Sensing the urgency of my situation I jumped and slide down to the ground. Taking no notice of the pain in my legs from the fall I ran into the forest.

The underbrush was thick and the thorns cut through my pants like tissue paper. I paid no attention to the wounds on my body; my primeval nature was becoming more intense. I ran faster than I had in my entire life. It was un-explainable, but something about me felt different. I felt stronger and I felt like I was a par of everything in my environment. I looked back to see if the men were following me. There was no sign of them, but I knew that they were probably close behind me. I kept running and told myself that I would not stop until I found a safe hideout.

By the time I found a place to rest for the night the sun had almost gone from the sky. I had found a ditch underneath a large log to hide in. Next to me was a clearing bathed in an eerie red light from the setting sun. Everything looked as though it had been soaked in blood. I thought about what was going on with the outside world. I had no idea at that time what was happening to my family; all I knew was that they were in the position of the men in the white suits. All of this was too much for me to handle. Everything going on around me made me lose care in my own physical state. I was badly cut, my clothes were torn, and there was a weird feeling going on about me. I had no idea what was happening to me, I felt my body changing in small hardly noticeable ways. I brushed this off for the moment and thought about the day ahead. The next day I was going to head to Seattle in hopes of finding my parents or someone who would shelter me. I had no idea what was going on in the city at that point in time. Eventually drowning in all my questions I fell into a deep sleep.


End file.
